Sana Mir hopes for better performance

LAHORE: Captain of the Pakistan Women’s cricket team, Sana Mir expressed hope that the team would perform well during West Indies tour, Geo News reported.
A 14 member squad would depart for the Caribbean from Karachi tonight. Sana Mir while speaking to reporters in Lahore said the series will not be easy and that two changes had been made in the team.The women’s cricket team will play four one day international and four T20s against the West Indies.

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After giving his bestst performance in the World Cup he is coming back to home and receiving a warm welcum from public and by Government of Pakistan.

Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar, who gave cent percent performance in cricket World Cup 2011, came back home today and had recieved a warm welcome bu the public on the Allama Iqbal International Airport."I am proud to represent Pakistan in the final of the cricket’s mega event was played between India and Sri Lanka.”said ny ALeem Dar talking with the Media Reporters.He has been awarded by the "Pride of Performance award" by the Government of Pakistan.He thanked to the Government of Pakistan and Government of Punjab for awrding him with this award.Dar while talking on tthe performance of Pakistani team in the recent World Cup said that they perform well and their overall performance was Satisfactory.And due to three,four wrong decisions taken by them had met them with the defeat in Semi_final.He said defending champion Australia and hot favourite South Africa were failed to reach in the semi-final while Pakistan qualified but unfortunately was defeated by India.It is of real proud and of worth mentioning here that not a single decision taken by Aleem Dar withdrawn through UDRS, an umpire referral system.Dar said UDRS is a good system and the systems would help to improve the performance of the umpires.

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Myopic India architects of their own downfall

MUMBAI: England steamrolled India with a consistent and ruthless display in the recently concluded 4-0 series whitewash but the tourists' meek surrender of the number one test ranking was primarily their own doing.Occupants of the top slot since December 2009, India added the 50-over World Cup in April this year to signal their intention of dominating the game like the West Indies and Australia had done so in the recent past.However, England's utter dominance in a quartet of lopsided test victories proved that India's fortress was built on flimsy foundations.India's much-vaunted batting line-up failed to fire, their bowlers bled runs without success and the standard of their fielding would have embarrassed any club side."Indian cricket has become the laughing stock of the world game and while that might not seem to matter to a board that generates 70 percent of the sport's global income and has in its locker-room the World Cup trophy, no less, ridicule tends to be a corrosive disease," cricket analyst Andrew Miller wrote.Many believe the seeds of destruction were sown by the Indian cricket board, which compiled a lucrative but punishing schedule that ensured most of the players were either exhausted or injured by the time they set foot on English soil.India's World Cup victory in April was preceded by a South Africa tour and less than a week after lifting one-day cricket's biggest trophy in Mumbai, skipper MS Dhoni and his men were honouring their Indian Premier League (IPL) obligations in the cash-rich Twenty20 league.A short tour of the West Indies followed before they arrived in England just in time for a practice game ahead of the four-match series against a battle-hardened and hungry England side.Ajit Wadekar, who led India to their first series victory in England 40 years ago, insists the players should have skipped the IPL tournament."Tell me which English player participated in the IPL? None of them," Wadekar said.We could not even enjoy our World Cup win properly. The IPL started immediately. It was too much and it's telling on the players.Wadekar's point was driven home by the dismal experiences of three key players before and during the England series.Openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan either picked up or aggravated existing injuries during the 51-day IPL tournament and subsequently skipped the trip to the Caribbean.On top of that, a fresh injury to Gambhir compounded India's crisis and the tourists were only once able to start a test with their regular opening partnership, tinkering with the batting order in the other three matches.Sehwag was unavailable for the first two matches as he recovered from shoulder surgery and after being rushed into action for the third test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, was dismissed for first-ball ducks in both innings.Zaheer lasted just one test, bowling 13 1/2 overs in the first innings of the opening match at Lord's, before a hamstring injury ended his tour.India's lack of planning, the hallmark of any team that wants to dominate the game, was also cruelly exposed.Devoid of a reserve opener in the squad, Rahul Dravid, India's only batsman to offer resistance, was promoted to the top of the order to face England's fired-up seamers with the new ball.Selectors also sprang a surprise when they called up left-arm seamer RP Singh as Zaheer's replacement, despite not playing a test match since April 2008.They also recalled Dravid for the subsequent limited-overs series after an absence of two years in another decision that smacked of poor planning and desperation.RETIREMENTS DUE As Dhoni pointed out after losing his first series as captain, cracks had appeared throughout India's much-vaunted batting line-up.While the team urgently needs to identify and groom a third opener, the lower-middle order position vacated by former captain Sourav Ganguly when he retired in 2008 has also proved difficult to fill.Yuvraj Singh, who brings immense value in the shorter formats, has not been able to cement his place in the test side and Suresh Raina's inadequate technique does not make him an automatic choice either.Adding to that dilemma, batting stalwarts Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Vangipurappu Laxman are all on the wrong side of their thirties and phasing them out will be the biggest challenge for India, where cricket towers over all other sports."That's a phase I think every country has to cope with. It's like a cycle," Wadekar said, referring to the crisis Australia faced after the retirement of players like Matthew Hayden, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne."Here, nobody bothers about it and there is no planning at all. We have to plan our future properly. This is where we should do a little bit of rotation and get more youngsters.Former wicketkeeper and chairman of selectors Kiran More echoed those views.Test cricket is the biggest concern area. Test cricket makes a huge difference for the young and fringe players. I think we haven't developed one test player in the last few years," More said."You have to promote young players, give them opportunities and carry them on the tours. That's how you develop a player."You have to carry AN extra couple of fast bowlers on the tour. Pakistan during Imran Khan's time used to carry 17-18 players on the tour."Imran used to carry extra fast bowlers who could bowl in the nets and gain the experience of the conditions. That has not happened... there have been so many changes. It is not helping the players and they are not gaining any confidence.

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Sri Lanka win 5th ODI to reduce Aussie lead to 3-2

COLOMBO: Fast bowler Lasith Malinga took a record third hat-trick as Sri Lanka secured a consolation four-wicket victory over Australia in the fifth and final one-day international on Monday.
Malinga removed Mitchell Johnson, John Hastings and Xavier Doherty to become the first bowler to take three hat-tricks in one-dayers as Sri Lanka dismissed Australia for 211 before achieving the target with three overs to spare.Paceman James Pattinson and left-arm spinner Doherty bagged two wickets each for Australia, who clinched the series 3-2.Australia, who had an unbeatable 3-1 lead before the match, were comfortably placed at 210-5 before losing their last five wickets for just one run, with Malinga doing the maximum damage to finish with 3-35 off eight overs.Malinga, known for bowling accurate yorkers with a slinging action, had earlier taken hat-tricks in two World Cups -- against South Africa in 2007 and Kenya in 2011.Sri Lanka's batsmen stuttered to 33-3 at the start of their innings with Pattinson taking two wickets in his opening spell, but Mahela Jayawardene (71) and Chamara Silva (63) put on 111 for the fourth wicket to prop up the innings.Silva, who hit one six and eight fours in his 71-ball knock, was dismissed just before rain stopped play but Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews (26) ensured win when the game resumed with a 51-run stand for the fifth wicket.Malinga was earlier superbly supported by unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis (3-49) and seamer Shaminda Eranga (2-45)Opener Shane Watson top-scored for Australia with an 84-ball 56, which contained one six and six fours. Skipper Michael Clarke (47), David Hussey (46) and Ricky Ponting (31) were the other main scorers.Australia lost opener Shaun Marsh in the second over after being put in to bat, but Watson steadied the innings with two useful stands.Watson added 67 for the second wicket with Ponting and 56 for the next with Clarke before falling in the 28th over, caught at deep mid-wicket off Mendis.Clarke looked set to complete his third half-century of the series before being caught behind off Eranga.

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Malinga's hat-trick restricts Australia

COLOMBO: Lasith Malinga grabbed a record third hat-trick as Sri Lanka restricted Australia to 211 in the fifth and final one-day international on Monday.The paceman dismissed Mitchell Johnson, John Hastings and Xavier Doherty in his eighth over to become the first bowler to take three hat-tricks in one-dayers and keep alive his team's hopes of posting a consolation win.Australia, who have an unbeatable 3-1 lead, were comfortably placed at 210-5 before losing their last five wickets for just one run, with Malinga doing the maximum damage to finish with 3-35 off eight overs.Malinga was superbly supported by unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis (3-49) and seamer Shaminda Eranga (2-45).Opener Shane Watson top-scored for Australia with an 84-ball 56, which contained one six and six fours. Skipper Michael Clarke (47), David Hussey (46) and Ricky Ponting (31) were the other main scorers.Australia lost opener Shaun Marsh in the second over after being put in to bat in the day-night match, but Watson steadied the innings with two useful stands.Watson added 67 for the second wicket with Ponting and 56 for the next with Clarke before falling in the 28th over, caught at deep mid-wicket off Mendis.Clarke looked set to complete his third half-century of the series before being caught behind off Eranga.Australia made two changes from the side that won the previous match by five wickets on Saturday, bringing in pacemen Hastings and James Pattinson in place of Brett Lee and Doug Bollinger who were rested.Sri Lanka replaced seamer Nuwan Kulasekara with Jeevan Mendis.

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England complete 4-0 whitewash against India

LONDON: England sealed a 4-0 series rout of India with an innings and eight-run victory at The Oval here on Monday as Sachin Tendulkar fell just short of an unprecedented 100th international hundred.India, who needed 291 runs to make the hosts bat again, frustrated England during a fourth-wicket partnership of 144 between Tendulkar, who made 91, and Amit Mishra.But when Mishra was out for a Test-best 84, it was the start of a collapse that saw India lose seven wickets for 21 runs on the way to 283 all out. Off-spinner Graeme Swann, at last presented with a pitch taking turn this series, did the bulk of the damage with six for 106 to the delight of the majority of a sell-out 23,500 crowd It was the first time England had swept a four-match series since a 4-0 home whitewash of the West Indies in 2004.India resumed on Monday's fifth and final day on 129 for three, still 162 runs shy of England's first innings 591 for six declared featuring Ian Bell's Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen's 175.Tendulkar was 25 not out and Mishra eight not out.England, who'd replaced India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table with an innings and 242 run victory at Edgbaston last time out, endured a wicketless morning session.But Tendulkar, whose previous best score this series was 56 in the second Test at Trent Bridge, should have been out for 70 when Alastair Cook at short leg dropped a bat-pad catch off Swann.There was further frustration for Swann and England when Tendulkar was dropped by Prior on 85.But Swann made the breakthrough an increasingly anxious England wanted when Mishra, playing for turn that never came, was bowled, having easily surpassed his previous Test-best of 50 against Bangladesh in Chittagong last year.It was another fine effort with the bat by Mishra who made 43 in a first innings 300 featuring Rahul Dravid's 146 not out after taking no wickets for a hugely expensive 170 runs with his leg-spinners.Tendulkar though seemed set to complete his ton of tons. But nine runs short the 38-year-old was lbw to seamer Tim Bresnan.Australian umpire Rod Tucker took his time before raising his finger, with replays indicating the ball would have just clipped the top of leg stump.Tendulkar, walked off to a standing ovation after his best score of the series, topping his 57 in the second Test at Trent Bridge.He batted for nearly four hours, facing 172 balls with 11 fours.Wickets then tumbled in quick succession, with Suresh Raina lbw to Swann to complete a 42-ball pair before India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni drove loosely at Stuart Broad, armed with the new ball and was well caught by Swann in the slips for three.RP Singh was caught behind for a duck off Broad.Swann then had Gautam Gambhir caught in the gully before ending the match by bowling last man Shanthakumaran Sreesanth

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Sachin, Mishra struggle to save India from defeat

LONDON: Sachin Tendulkar made his highest score of the series and closed in on an unprecedented 100th international hundred as India fought hard to deny England a 4-0 whitewash on the final day of the fourth Test at The Oval here on Monday.India, following-on, didn't lose a wicket in the whole of Monday's first session and at lunch on the fifth day they were 216 for three -- just 75 runs short of making England bat again.Tendulkar was 72 not out, having faced 142 balls with nine fours, and nightwatchman Amit Mishra a Test-best 57 not out.India, whose fourth-wicket duo had so far put on 98, now had some hope of holding out for a draw under blue skies and on a still-good pitch in ideal sunny batting conditions. However, Tendulkar should have been out for 70 when he inside-edged off-spinner Graeme Swann onto his pad only for Alastair Cook to drop the sharp chance at short leg.India resumed Monday on 129 for three, still 162 runs adrift of England's first innings 591 for six declared that featured Ian Bell's Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen's 175.England, who'd replaced India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table with an innings and 242 run victory at Edgbaston last time out, needed seven more wickets to complete a first 4-0 whitewash since a home rout of the West Indies seven years ago.Tendulkar was 25 not out and Mishra eight not out.Mishra, who made 43 in an India first innings where Rahul Dravid's 146 not out accounted for nearly half a total of 300, took the attack to England.He overcame an early blow on the thigh from James Anderson to sweep Swann for four as England's bowlers, in front of a sell-out crowd, struggled.England captain Andrew Strauss brought on medium-pacer Ravi Bopara in a bid to break the stand.But Tendulkar, whose previous best score this series was 56 in the second Test at Trent Bridge, cover-drove and late cut Bopara for two fours.It all left England regretting a bizarre incident on Sunday when wicketkeeper Matt Prior failed to appeal for a stumping against Tendulkar when the 'Little Master' had made just 34.Shortly before lunch, Mishra completed his second Test half-century, following exactly 50 against Bangladesh in Chittagong last year, when he guided Tim Bresnan for two to third man to reach the landmark in 103 balls with six fours.

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Sri Lanka win toss, put Aussies in to bat in final ODI

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan elected to field after winning the toss against Australia in the fifth and final one-day international on Monday.Australia, who have already gained an unbeatable 3-1 lead, have brought in pacemen John Hastings and James Pattinson in place of Brett Lee and Doug Bollinger.Sri Lanka have replaced seamer Nuwan Kulasekara with Jeevan Mendis in the only change from the side that lost the previous match by five wickets on Saturday.Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), Shaun Marsh, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, John Hastings, Xavier Doherty, James Pattinson.Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan (captain), Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Jeevan Mendis, Shaminda Eranga, Seekkuge Prasanna.

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Will Tendulkar be able to hit the 100th century in Oval test?

LONDON: The fourth and the last test match between India and England has entered into a decisive phase, while England needs only seven wickets for the whitewash.The visiting team today will resume its second inning at 129 runs for 3 wickets, while England needs only 7 wickets for winning the fourth consecutive match and the series by 4-0.On the other hand, Indian team has to score 162 more runs for averting the innings defeat, while Sachin Tendulkar is on the crease at 35 being assisted by Amit Mishra at 8.England is already leading the series by 3-0

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England on brink of India whitewash

LONDON: England finally saw off Rahul Dravid as they closed in on a 4-0 series rout of India at The Oval here on Sunday.Dravid batted for more than seven hours in the fourth Test before England finally found a way to break 'The Wall'.But India, following-on, were 129 for three at the close of the fourth day, still 162 runs behind England's first innings 591 for six declared built upon Ian Bell's Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen's 175.Sachin Tendulkar, bidding for an unprecedented 100th international century, was 25 not out and nightwatchman Amit Mishra eight not out.England though needed just seven more wickets on Monday's final day to complete a 4-0 clean sweep for the first time since a home whitewash of the West Indies in 2004.India resumed Sunday in the desperate position of 103 for five.Dravid was 57 not out and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni five not out.But Dhoni, who never looked settled, was out for 17 when he pushed tentatively at a James Anderson outswinger and was caught behindravid, responsible for all three India centuries this series, sped through the 90s with three fours in four balls from off-spinner Graeme Swann, a sweep and a late cut preceding his elegant advance down the pitch to create a half-volley he clipped through mid-wicket A late cut two off Tim Bresnan then saw Dravid to his hundred. Dravid's century was the second time this series he'd made a hundred while opening in the absence of regular opener Gautam Gambhir.He had previously made 117, when Gambhir missed the second Test at Trent Bridge with an elbow injury, following his 103 not out at Lord's.Dravid's 35th Test century took him in front of hero Sunil Gavaskar's mark of 34 and fourth in the all-time list behind Tendulkar (51), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (40) and Australia's Ricky Ponting (39).India started the second session on 218 for six, with Dravid 109 not out and Mishra, who'd driven Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, 38 not out.However, Mishra added just five more runs before he was brilliantly caught by a diving Bell at an unusually positioned short backward square leg off a pull against Bresnan.The new ball did for Gambhir, who'd suffered concussion while fielding on Friday, when he fended at Stuart Broad and was caught by Pietersen at gully.Bresnan struck twice in three balls as India were bowled out for 300 -- the first time they'd made the score this series. Dravid had contributed nearly 50 percent thanks to a masterful 146 not out in 266 balls with 20 fours. He was only the third Indian after Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag to carry his bat in a Test innings but India were still 92 adrift of avoiding the follow-on.The selfless Dravid kept his pads on but his resistance ended controversially when, on 13, he turned Swann to Alastair Cook at short leg.Umpire Rod Tucker said not out but England asked for a review and Tucker's fellow Australian Steve Davis gave Dravid out, although replays indicated the ball may have gone to Cook straight off the pad. The India great, in what could be his last Test in England, walked off to a standing ovation from a capacity 23,500 crowd.Sehwag made a typically dashing 33 before he was bowled between bat and pad by Swann -- a classic off-spinner's dismissal.And England had one more wicket before stumps when Venkatsai Laxman, who has had a wretched series, was bowled for 24 by a superb Anderson delivery that angled in and uprooted his off-stump.

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Nicola Browne announced her retirement from international cricket

Nicola Browne White Ferns all-rounder Nicola Browne has today announced her retirement from international cricket, ending a nine year career.The 27 year-old retires after playing two Tests, 108 One Day Internationals and 34 Twenty20s after making her debuting in an ODI against Australia in Adelaide in February 2002.Browne's 33 wickets in Twenty20 cricket is the most by a New Zealander and her 77 one-day scalps put her third on the list behind Aimee Watkins (92) and Catherine Campbell (78). She departs as the fifth best international bowler and fourth best all-rounder on the ICC rankings.Browne is also the current holder of the Phyl Blackler Cup for the bowler whose performances in women's cricket have been the most meritorious and was named player of the tournament at the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in 2010.She will continue to play for the Northern Spirit in the Action Cricket Cup and Action Cricket Twenty20 domestic competitions.Reflecting on her international career Browne said he was honoured to represent New Zealand and is proud of what she has achieved."It was a tough decision but I feel that it's the right time to step away. When I look back I feel that I've achieved a lot of what I set out to do and have a lot of fond memories."I am still passionate about cricket and keen to stay involved. My focus will be on helping and supporting others to achieve their goals and dreams and doing my part to continue to grow the women's game in New Zealand.White Ferns coach Gary Stead paid tribute to Browne's outstanding career for the White Ferns.Nicola has been an important member of the White Ferns for a long period of time and I take this opportunity to congratulate her on the way she represented her country."She developed into one of the best bowlers in women's cricket and is an excellent role model for the other players. She is an extremely dedicated and professional athlete and that showed in the way she went about preparing and playing the game."Nicola is very highly thought of and very well respected by her team mates and her contribution will be missed. We wish her every success in the future."

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Bell and Pietersen enjoy spectacular rise

Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen have benefitted from good formEngland's Ian Bell has moved into the top five of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen for the first time in his career following his double-hundred in the fourth and final match of the series against India at the Oval.As England claimed the title of number-one Test side in the world with a 4-0 series victory, several of its players have made their own moves up the players' ladder with Bell the most notable. The Warwickshire batsman scored 235 and in the process gains four positions to move level with team-mate Alistair Cook in third.Kevin Pietersen's 175 in the same match is enough for him to return to the top 10 as he moves up five places to eighth spot. England can now boast six bowlers in the top 20 and four batsmen in the top 10.As he has done so well of late, India's Rahul Dravid fought hard against the otherwise rampant England bowlers and while his 146 not out in the first innings was not enough to save the match for his team, it did earn him four places on the log and a position at number 10.

The news is not so positive for most of his team-mates, however, with Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni all losing ground in a list that has South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis at the top and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara second.And the knock-on effect of India's failures with the bat has been that England's bowlers have reaped the reward. Three of the top five bowlers represent England as Graeme Swann gains two places to third position with James Anderson in second and Stuart Broad in fifth.

Tim Bresnan moves up five places to 11th overall as South Africa's Dale Steyn leads the way.There is no change in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders as Kallis still sets the standard and England's Stuart Broad lies second

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Australia geared up for spin test in Sri Lanka: Clarke

Australia captain Michael Clarke believes fending off the challenge posed by Sri Lanka's spinners will be the key to winning the three-Test series starting next week.The series, which opens at a traditionally spin-friendly venue in Galle on August 31, will be Clarke's first as Test captain since taking over from Ricky Ponting after the World Cup.Clarke said a 3-2 success in the one-day series against the hosts would stand his side in good stead going into the Test matches."I think it's been really good to get some cricket under the belt in these conditions," Clarke said after his team's four-wicket defeat in the fifth and final one-dayer in Colombo on Monday night."Looking at the result, I would imagine that the wickets are going to turn throughout the series and we are going to be facing a lot of spin. We need to be prepared for that."We have to be at our best as a batting group. We are fortunate we've got a lot of experience in our batting group but we have to make some big scores."Sri Lanka will be without match-winning fast bowler Lasith Malinga for the Test series, but Clarke said the hosts still had the bowling resources to test his batsmen.Malinga, who became the first bowler to take three hat-tricks in one-day internationals, has already quit Tests in a bid to prolong his career in limited-overs cricket."I think a few of the boys are happy we don't face him (Malinga) in the Test series," said Clarke, who was named man of the one-day series for scoring 242 runs in the five matches.Man-of-the-match Malinga dismissed Mitchell Johnson, John Hastings and Xavier Doherty off successive balls to spark a dramatic collapse which saw Australia lose their last five wickets for just one run.Australia were bowled out for 211 before Sri Lanka achieved the target with three overs to spare."I'm sure Sri Lanka are going to have a good attack in the conditions we're playing in. I'd be surprised if they don't play two spinners at least," said Clarke.Sri Lanka are likely to field unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath in the Tests.Australia will play a three-day practice match against a Sri Lanka Board XI in Colombo from Thursday before the Test series.

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David Boon prepares for his first series as elite panelist

David Boon gets ready for his new role

David Boon will make his debut as a member of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees when he travels to Zimbabwe early next week to officiate in the series between Zimbabwe and Pakistan.Mr Boon, who played 107 Tests and 181 ODIs for Australia, replaced compatriot Alan Hurst in the elite panel who retired on 9 July after the fifth and last ODI between England and Sri Lanka in Manchester after joining the panel in April 2004 Mr Boon will lead the playing control team in the one-off Test that gets underway in Bulawayo on Thursday 1 September. The Test match, which will be supervised by Rod Tucker and Ian Gould, will be followed up by three ODIs which will be umpired by Mr Gould along with local appointments, and two T20Is.Reacting to these appointments, Mr Boon said: "I am really looking forward to visiting Zimbabwe for my first assignment as an elite panelist. I am very fortunate to have been close to cricket all my life and I am sure this phase in my new cricketing life will be as enjoyable as the other experiences."I also can't wait and make my debut as an ICC official at the highest level in a country where I visited as a young player for an Australian under-25 side and on another occasion as captain of Tasmania.
Note: David Boon (50) enjoyed an international career spanning from 1984 to 1996. In that time, he played 107 Tests and 181 ODIs for Australia. In the longest format of the game, he scored 7,422 runs, including 21 centuries and 32 half-centuries while he hit 5,964 runs with five centuries and 37 half-centuries in limited-overs internationals.Mr Boon made his first-class debut for Tasmania in 1978-79 at the age of 17 and retired from all levels of cricket at the end of the 1999 English County Championship season with Durham but not before he had scored 23,413 first-class runs at an average of 44.00 with 68 centuries and 114 half-centuries.After retiring from international cricket, Mr Boon moved to cricket administration and worked as General Manager - Cricket at Cricket Tasmania and also served as an Australia national selector.

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Pakistan recalls Shoaib Malik for Zimbabwe tour

Pakistan have recalled former captain and all-rounder Shoaib Malik to the squad for next month's tour of Zimbabwe, the PCB said on Sunday.Shoaib's inclusion comes after a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) integrity committee cleared him of any wrong doing last week after an investigation into his finances."Malik still has lots of cricket left in him and it is good to see him available to play for Pakistan again," head coach Waqar Younis told Reuters. Shoaib, 29, who has played 32 tests and 192 one-day internationals has not represented his country since a nine wicket loss in the second test against England in Birmingham a year ago.He captained Pakistan from 2007 to early 2009 before he was sacked after a home series loss to Sri LankaPakistan will play one Test, three One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches against Zimbabwe.

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Shakib leads Bangladesh to face-saving win

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan led from the front with a fighting innings of 79 before picking up two wickets as Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by 93 runs to win the fifth and final ODI at Queens Sports Club on Sunday.


It was Bangladesh's second successive win, but Zimbabwe still claimed the series 3-2 to add to their victory in the one-off Test between the two nations.After being put in to bat, Bangladesh made 253 for six in their 50 overs before Zimbabwe, who lost captain Brendan Taylor for a duck in the second over, were skittled out for 160 with more than 11 overs to spare.Bangladesh had been 125 for five at one stage before Shakib, whose 79 came off 71 balls and featured five boundaries and a six, put on 109 for the sixth wicket with Mahmudullah who made 60.It was Shakib's 21st one-day century.Mahmudullah was undefeated at the end of the 50 overs with his runs coming off 67 deliveries with five boundaries and a six to match his captain in the big hitting.Mahmudullah went on to claim three wickets with his off-breaks for just 13 runs.Flamboyant opener Tamim Iqbal also confirmed his return to form with 45 but Mohammad Ashraful, brought back into the side, made only 15 while Imrul Kayes concluded a dismal tour with nine.The innings ended in worrying circumstances when Zimbabwe seamer Keegan Meth took a full blooded drive on the jaw when half-way down the wicket after bowling a high full toss.X-rays showed no fracture though he lost two teeth and another was chipped and his injury prevented him from batting.In Zimbabwe's reply, Taylor was caught behind for a duck off the first ball of the second over. It was his fourth failure after smashing a century in the first match.Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza dug deep and they put on 57 for the second wicket.But when they went, and the experienced Tatenda Taibu was lbw to Shakib, Zimbabwe were 73-4 and the game was effectively up.Malcolm Waller, after surviving a missed catch, went on to make a steady 51 off 78 balls, his second career ODI half century.But Elton Chigumbura, on whom so much rested, was caught for one and the Zimbabwe tail collapsed.Zimbabwe will face a tougher test next month when Pakistan arrive for one Test, three ODIs and two Twenty20s.

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Ken Barrington inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Former England Test player Ken Barrington Former England batsman Ken Barrington was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in front of a large and appreciative international crowd during the tea interval of the fourth and final Test between England and India and The Oval, London today.The late Barrington's commemorative cap was received by two of his former England and Surrey team-mates John Edrich and Micky Stewart from ICC Director and the England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Giles Clarke for his induction into the Hall of Fame*, a joint initiative between the ICC and the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA).Barrington was born in 1930 and is regarded as one of England's most stylish batsmen, in addition to being an occasional and useful legbreak bowler. He passed away on 14 March 1981 Born in Reading, Barrington played for Surrey throughout his career as well as representing England 82 times in Test matches accumulating an average of 58.67, scoring 20 Test centuries in the process.Barrington amassed 6806 Test runs and in English Test batting circles his career Test average is only surpassed by Eddie Paynter and another ICC Cricket Hall of Famer, Herbert Sutcliffe.Barrington's 256 in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in 1964 is the highest post-World War II century for England against Australia and he twice made centuries in four successive Tests. He was the first England batsman to make a hundred on all six of England's then traditional Test grounds – Old Trafford, Edgbaston, Headingley, Lord's, Trent Bridge and his home ground of The Oval The statistics paint a clear picture of just how good Barrington was in his day. Between 1953 and 1968 he scored 31,714 first-class runs at an average of 45.63 with 76 centuries. He had an untimely heart-attack at 37 and was forced into early retirement from the game to then take over later in life as England assistant team manager. Barrington passed away in 1981 whilst on tour with the England team in Barbados.Edrich said: "It is a great honour to be receiving Ken's cap on his behalf. He was a fantastic team-mate and a great man and is thoroughly deserving of this award and recognition he is receiving today from the ICC and FICA."Stewart added: "It is a great pleasure and honour to receive this cap on behalf of Ken, one of England's greatest batsmen and my mate for 30 years."*ICC Cricket Hall of Fame – inductees as of 19 August 2011 (64):

Sydney Barnes, Ken Barrington, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Joel Garner, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Clarrie Grimmett, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, George Headley, Rachael Heyhoe-Flint, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O'Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Herbert Sutcliffe, Fred Trueman, Victor Trumper, Derek Underwood, Courtney Walsh, Steve Waugh, Wasim Akram, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell.

Four new inductees will be announced in September ahead of the LG ICC Awards 2011.

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Rambaldo leads Netherlands to European success

Helmien Rambaldo led the Netherlands to their first European Women's Championship, making an unbeaten 106 as her side achieved a comprehensive 94-run victory over Scotland in the final game of the tournament.It was Rambaldo's first international century, and it enabled the Dutch to reach a daunting 246 for three. Dropped at slip off Kathryn White before she had scored, she proceeded to bat throughout the innings, and faced a total of 132 deliveries, hitting five boundaries She was given great support by Carolien Salomons, who shared in a second-wicket partnership of 151 and contributed a solid 100-ball 71 before she was run out by a direct hit from point by Leigh Kasperek, who threw down the stumps at the non-striker's end as the Dutch batsmen attempted a quick single.A further run-out, this time by Samantha Haggo removed Esther Lanser, but then Carlijn de Groot helped Rambaldo add another 50 in the closing overs, the Dutch skipper reaching her century shortly before the end of the innings. White was the most economical of the Scottish attack, conceding 23 from her eight overs.The Dutch had set a target which always seemed likely to be beyond the Scottish batsmen, although Catherine Smaill and Fiona Urquhart gave them their best start of the week with an opening stand of 34.But then Lanser removed both openers, and although Kari Anderson and Kasperek added 75 for the third wicket, accurate Dutch bowling and defensive fields ensured that it took them 23 overs to do so. That meant that the Scots were steadily falling behind the required run rate.It was Evelien Gerrits, brought into the side for this final game, who broke the stalemate by bowling Anderson for a 72-ball 36, and when she added the scalp of the dangerous White in her next over it was the start of a rapid Scottish decline.Haggo batted positively but too briefly for 13, and then Kasperek, on 40, was a little unfortunate to see the ball roll into her stumps from a full-length delivery from Esther de Lange. Both wickets had fallen on 140, and there had been no addition to the score when Charlotte Bascombe fell to Laura Brouwers.113 for two had become 140 for seven, and worse was to follow for Scotland: Sahar Aslam was run out attempting an ambitious third run off a no ball  the Scots' tenth run-out in four matches – and almost immediately Priyanaz Chatterji became the eleventh.Abbi Aitken and Lorna Jack added eight for the last wicket, but then Jolet Hartenhof bowled the latter to finish the match and start the Dutch celebrations at their second European title of the week. Lanser finished with two for 28 from ten overs, and Gerrits with two for 24 from nine.Brief scores from today's matches:

Kampong CC: Netherlands 246-3, 50 overs (H Rambaldo 106*, C Salomons 71)

Scotland 152, 48.5 overs (L Kasparek 40, K Anderson 36) Netherlands won by 94 runs ICC European Women's Championship table

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Despite Dravid brilliance, England on brink of whitewash

Rahul Dravid scored his 35th ton in the first innings

England finally saw off Rahul Dravid as they closed in on a 4-0 series rout of India at The Oval here on Sunday.

Dravid batted for more than seven hours in the fourth Test before England finally found a way to break 'The Wall'.

But India, following-on, were 129 for three at the close of the fourth day, still 162 runs behind England's first innings 591 for six declared built upon Ian Bell's Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen's 175.

Sachin Tendulkar, bidding for an unprecedented 100th international century, was 35 not out and nightwatchman Amit Mishra eight not out.

England though needed just seven more wickets on Monday's final day to complete a 4-0 clean sweep for the first time since a home whitewash of the West Indies in 2004.

India resumed Sunday in the desperate position of 103 for five.

Dravid was 57 not out and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni five not out.

But Dhoni, who never looked settled, was out for 17 when he pushed tentatively at a James Anderson outswinger and was caught behind.

Dravid, responsible for all three India centuries this series, sped through the 90s with three fours in four balls from off-spinner Graeme Swann, a sweep and a late cut preceding his elegant advance down the pitch to create a half-volley he clipped through mid-wicket A late cut two off Tim Bresnan then saw Dravid to his hundred.

Dravid's century was the second time this series he'd made a hundred while opening in the absence of regular opener Gautam Gambhir.

He had previously made 117, when Gambhir missed the second Test at Trent Bridge with an elbow injury, following his 103 not out at Lord's.

Dravid's 35th Test century took him in front of hero Sunil Gavaskar's mark of 34 and fourth in the all-time list behind Tendulkar (51), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (40) and Australia's Ricky Ponting (39).

India started the second session on 218 for six, with Dravid 109 not out and Mishra, who'd driven Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, 38 not out.

However, Mishra added just five more runs before he was brilliantly caught by a diving Bell at an unusually positioned short backward square leg off a pull against Bresnan.

The new ball did for Gambhir, who'd suffered concussion while fielding on Friday, when he fended at Stuart Broad and was caught by Pietersen at gully.

Bresnan struck twice in three balls as India were bowled out for 300 -- the first time they'd made the score this series.

Dravid had contributed nearly 50 percent thanks to a masterful 146 not out in 266 balls with 20 fours.

He was only the third Indian after Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag to carry his bat in a Test innings but India were still 92 adrift of avoiding the follow-on.

The selfless Dravid kept his pads on but his resistance ended controversially when, on 13, he turned Swann to Alastair Cook at short leg.

Umpire Rod Tucker said not out but England asked for a review and Tucker's fellow Australian Steve Davis gave Dravid out, although replays indicated the ball may have gone to Cook straight off the pad.

The India great, in what could be his last Test in England, walked off to a standing ovation from a capacity 23,500 crowd.

Sehwag made a typically dashing 33 before he was bowled between bat and pad by Swann -- a classic off-spinner's dismissal.

And England had one more wicket before stumps when VVS Laxman, who has had a wretched series, was bowled for 24 by a superb Anderson delivery that angled in and uprooted his off-stump.

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Cook vaults into third position after career-best knock

Alastair Cook slammed 294 in the third Test

Opener Alastair Cook has vaulted into a career-best third position in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after a man of the match performance in the Edgbaston Test which turned out to be the cornerstone of England's victory by an innings and 242 runs over India in the third Test which finished on Saturday.

Cook, who has been nominated for the Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year awards at the LG ICC Awards 2011, has claimed third position after rocketing eight places following a masterly 294 that came after 772 minutes of occupancy of the crease during which he received 545 balls off which 33 were converted into fours.

Cook took a jump of eight places after he was awarded 92 ratings points for a mammoth knock which not only gave him a career-best rating to date of 836 but has also put him just two ratings points behind Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara who currently occupies second position.

If Cook displays the same form he showed at Edgbaston in the fourth and last Test of the series, then he is all set to finish the series in second position. The 26-year-old left-hander had entered the series in fifth position but had slipped to 11th place after failures in the Lord's and Trent Bridge Tests in which he scored 12, 1, 2 and 5.

Cook is not the only England batsman who has moved in the right direction. Kevin Pietersen has gained two places and is now in 13th position after a score of 63, captain Andrew Strauss has earned one position and is now in 34th spot after a knock of 87 and Eoin Morgan has climbed 12 places to 52nd position after scoring his second Test century.

The news is not as encouraging for India's batsmen who, except for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, have slipped in the latest rankings which were released on Sunday morning.

Dhoni has moved up four places and is now in 36th position after scores of 77 and 74 not out while Sachin Tendulkar is in fourth position (down by one place), VVS Laxman in 12th (down by three places), Rahul Dravid in 14th (down by three places), Virender Sehwag in 17th (down by seven places) and Gautam Gambhir in 30th (down by three places).

Tim Bresnan is the biggest mover in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers. The 26-year-old from Yorkshire has broken into the top 20 for the first time in his career after he jumped nine places to claim 16th position following figures of 4-62 and 1-19.

Stuart Broad, who had match figures of 6-81, has also moved up two places to fifth position where he has been joined by team-mate Graeme Swann who has slipped one place after managing only two wickets in the Test which was dominated by the fast bowlers and Cook.

James Anderson has strengthened his second position after he broke into the 800-point mark for the first time in his career after figures of 2-69 and 4-85.

The 29-year-old Lancastrian earned 13 ratings points for his Edgbaston efforts which means he now trails number-one ranked Dale Steyn of South Africa by 96 ratings points and leads third-ranked Morne Morkel by 52 ratings points.

Broad and Bresnan have also achieved career-best rankings in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders which are led by South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

Broad has swapped places with Daniel Vettori while Bresnan has jumped four places to ninth position after he backed up his bowling figures of 5-81 with a breezy knock of 53 not out. His batting performance also earned him a career best ranking of 65th in the batting rankings. .

The Reliance ICC Player Rankings will now be updated after the fourth and last Test between England and India which starts at The Oval from Thursday.

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India follow-on despite Dravid ton

 LONDON: Rahul Dravid's third century of the series could not prevent India following-on in the fourth and final Test at The Oval here on Sunday as England went in search of a whitewash.

Dravid carried his bat for a superb 146 not out in an India first innings total of 300 -- the first time this series the tourists had reached the benchmark score.

But that still left them 92 shy of avoiding the follow-on.

Although not an opener by preference, Dravid kept his pads on to be seven not out at tea on the fourth day.

The dashing Virender Sehwag, who'd previously managed just eight runs in eight balls this series, including a king pair in the third Test at Edgbaston, was 16 not out.

India still needed a further 266 runs to make England bat again after the hosts made 591 for six declared in a first innings featuring Ian Bell's Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen's 175.

India started the second session on 218 for six, with Dravid 109 not out and Amit Mishra, who'd driven off-spinner Graeme Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, 38 not out.

However, Mishra added just five more runs before he was brilliantly caught by a diving Bell at an unusually positioned short backward square leg off a pull shot against a looping Tim Bresnan delivery.

Dravid thrashed part-time spinner Pietersen for four and it was no surprise England took the new ball as soon as they could, with India 253 for seven off 80 overs.

It led to a breakthrough when left-hander Gautam Gambhir, normally an opener but batting down the order after suffering concussion while fielding on Friday, fended at Stuart Broad and was caught in the gully by Pietersen.

RP Singh thrashed his way to 25 featuring five fours before he was well-held by third slip James Anderson off Bresnan to leave India 300 for nine.

And two balls later India were all out when Shanthakumaran Sreesanth exited for nought when he drove at Bresnan, who took three for 54, and was caught at short extra-cover by Eoin Morgan.

Dravid -- the only India batsman to score a century this series -- was undefeated after six hours and 19 minutes at the crease, having faced 266 balls with 20 fours.

He was only the third Indian after Sunil Gavaskar and Sehwag to carry his bat in a Test innings.

Dravid's hundred was the second time this series he made a century while opening in the absence of Gambhir.

He had previously made 117, when Gambhir missed the second Test at Trent Bridge with an elbow injury, following his 103 not out at Lord's.

Dravid's 35th Test century took him one in front of childhood hero Gavaskar's mark of 34 and fourth in the all-time list behind India team-mate Sachin Tendulkar (51), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (40) and Australia's Ricky Ponting (39).

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Dravid’s fighting ton keeps England at bay

 LONDON: Rahul Dravid's third century of the series kept England at bay as the hosts went in search of a 4-0 whitewash at The Oval.

India were 218 for six in reply to England's first innings 591 for six declared, still a deficit of 373 runs and 174 shy of avoiding the follow-on, at lunch on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test here on Sunday.

But at least Dravid, renowned for his concentration, was at the crease on 109 not out.

And this innings he at last found found a useful ally in Amit Mishra (38 not out), who drove off-spinner Graeme Swann for six off the last ball before lunch, in a seventh-wicket stand so far worth 81.

Dravid's hundred was all the more impressive as for the second time this series Dravid had made a hundred while opening, a position, he says he does not like, in the absence of Gautam Gambhir.

Left-hander Gambhir had been unable to bat in his usual position after suffering concussion while falling in a failed attempt to catch Kevin Pietersen on Friday.

Dravid, remarkably the only century-maker in a powerful India batting line-up this series, had previously made 117, when Gambhir missed the second Test at Trent Bridge with an elbow injury, following his 103 not out at Lord's.

His 35th Test century took him one in front of childhood hero and India great Sunil Gavaskar's mark of 34 and fourth in the all-time list behind team-mate Sachin Tendulkar (51), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (40) and Australia's Ricky Ponting (39).

Dravid's one moment of concern Sunday came when he was nearly run-out on 61 by Pietersen after a mix-up with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

India resumed in the desperate position of 103 for five after a top-order collapse against James Anderson and Swann.

Dravid wad 57 not out and Dhoni five not out.

Dhoni, who never looked settled, was out for 17 when he pushed tentatively at an Anderson outswinger and was caught behind to leave India 137 for six.

Dravid sped through the 90s with three fours in four Swann balls, a sweep and a late cut preceding his elegant advance down the pitch to create a half-volley he clipped through mid-wicket.

A late cut two off Tim Bresnan took Dravid to a 168-ball century in three-and-three-quarter hours with 15 fours.

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Bell hits double ton as England pile on runs against India

 LONDON: Ian Bell completed a maiden Test double century as England continued to pile on the runs against India in the series finale at The Oval here on Saturday.

Bell's 235 was the cornerstone of England's 591 for six at lunch on the third day of the fourth Test.

England, already 3-0 up and looking to complete a whitewash in this four-match series, lost three wickets in the session but that did them little damage, with the rain that fell at lunch more of a concern.

Ravi Bopara, in for the injured Jonathan Trott, was 44 not out after managing just seven in England's innings and 242-run win at Edgbaston last week that saw then replace India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table.

Matt Prior was unbeaten on 18.

Three India bowlers have conceded more than 100 runs each, with leg-spinner Amit Mishra (none for 170 off 38 overs) the most expensive.

England resumed on their overnight score of 457 for three.

Bell was 181 not out after sharing an England record stand against India of 350 with Kevin Pietersen (175).

James Anderson, bizarrely sent in as a nightwatchman, was three not out.

Bell played one of the best shots of his innings early Saturday when he on-drove paceman Ishant Sharma down the ground in classic fashion.

Anderson added a few boundaries too before he was caught by second slip Venkatsai Laxman off seamer Shanthakumaran Sreessanth for 13.

Sreesanth struck again when he had Eoin Morgan, caught behind by India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

But England were still well-placed at 487 for five.

Bell, whose previous Test-best was 199 against South Africa at Lord's in 2008, went to his double century with a glanced four down to fine leg off Sreesanth.

But the 29-year-old Warwickshire's fifth Test century of the year came to an end when he was lbw to spinner Suresh Raina after missing a sweep.

That set the seal on a sublime innings of nearly eight-and-a-half hours where Bell faced 364 balls with 23 fours and two straight sixes off successive balls from Mishra.

It also meant Bell had become the leading run-scorer in Test cricket this year, with 950 runs at an average of 118.75 and, emphasising England's recent success, led team-mates Alastair Cook (927) and Pietersen (731) at the top of that table.

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Waqar Younis resigns as national team coach

 LAHORE: Waqar Younis has resigned as the coach of the Pakistan cricket team, Geo News reported. During a news conference, Younis said Pakistan's upcoming tour of Zimbabwe would be his last as coach and that the Pakistan Cricket Board had accepted his resignation.

Citing medical reasons as the main factor behind his decision to resign, Younis said he did not have any differences with anyone.

Younis was appointed coach on March 3, 2010. He was Pakistan's coach during the controversial tour of England during which cricketers Mohammed Aamir, Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif were found to be involved in spot-fixing.

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Bell, Pietersen plunder tons against India

 Updated at: 2340 PST,  Friday, August 19, 2011
 LONDON: Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen both scored hundreds to leave England in a position of utter dominance against India on the second day of the fourth and final Test at The Oval here on Friday.

England were 457 for three at stumps, with Bell 181 not out after Pietersen fell for 175.

It left England, whose run-fest delighted the bulk of a 23,500 capacity crowd, well-placed to complete a 4-0 series whitewash after replacing India as the world's best Test side with a crushing innings and 242 run victory at Edgbaston last week.

Bell and Pietersen put on exactly 350, surpassing England's previous best partnership against India, also for the third wicket, of 308 shared by Graham Gooch, the team's current batting coach, and Allan Lamb at Lord's in 1990.

It was also England's seventh largest stand for any wicket in all Tests.

But the pair were eventually separated when Pietersen, dropped on 102, fell to a fine return chance by part-time spinner Suresh Raina.

Pietersen's nearly four hour innings featured 27 fours.

England, with the score on 447 for three, then bizarrely sent in nightwatchman James Anderson, three not out at stumps.

Bell had batted for nearly seven hours, striking two sixes and 17 fours.

Both Bell and Pietersen scored their second century of the series Friday, with Bell having made 159 in a 319-run second Test win at Trent Bridge and Pietersen 202 not out in a 196-run first Test victory at Lord's.

Bell's hundred was his fifth in 11 Test innings and 16th in all.

Pietersen's 19th Test century took him level with team-mates Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook and left him just three shy of the England record of 22 shared by Walter Hammond, Colin Cowdrey and Geoffrey Boycott.

With Bell batting in classic fashion and Pietersen's innings featuring several unorthodox shots, the pair made the most of ideal, sunny batting conditions on a typically good Oval pitch.

India's attack were unable to sustain the improvement that saw openers Cook and England captain Strauss dismissed in Friday's morning session.

Ishant Sharma needed just five balls to make it 75 for one when he had Cook caught at first slip by Virender Sehwag off a good length ball as England failed to add to their overnight score following a first day where rain meant there was no play after lunch.

Cook, who made a career-best 294 at Edgbaston, was out for 34.

Strauss managed just two runs in an hour Friday against disciplined bowling before, chasing a wide half-volley from seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, he was caught behind by India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 40.

But England really took a toll of India's attack after lunch.

Bell started a sequence of four boundaries in five balls with the aid of a rare misfield by Sachin Tendulkar at deep square leg.

He later struck two cover-driven fours off successive balls, the second on the up, from seamer Sreesanth -- who embarrassingly tried to verbally intimidate Pietersen.

And in what is now a trademark stroke, Bell then late cut Rudra Pratap Singh, a replacement for injured medium-pacer Praveen Kumar -- one of India's few successes this tour.

India took the new ball but it made no difference and Pietersen, 98 not out at tea, went to his hundred off the first ball after the break when he pulled a Sharma long-hop for four

But next ball, trying to repeat the stroke, he got a top-edge only for Gautam Gambhir, running back at mid-on, to drop the two-handed chance.

It was tough on Sharma, who had decent figures of one for 81 in 27 overs at the close.

Bell straight-drove two sixes in as many balls from Amit Mishra and the leg-spinner's 29 wicketless overs thus far had cost 129 runs.

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Bell, Pietersen leave England well placed against India

Updated at: 2250 PST,  Friday, August 19, 2011  LONDON: Ian Bell's purple patch continued with an unbeaten century against India that left England well placed on 296 for two at tea on the second day of the fourth and final Test at The Oval here on Friday. Bell was 114 not out and Kevin Pietersen not far off his 19th Test century on 98 not out. England's third-wicket pair had so far added 199 following a session where the hosts did not lose a wicket. It was just what England, who replaced India as the world's top Test side after their innings-and-242-run victory at Edgbaston last week, wanted as they pursued a 4-0 series whitewash. India had produced a much improved bowling performance to remove England openers Alastair Cook and skipper Andrew Strauss before lunch and leave the home side on 126 for two, with Bell 29 not out and Pietersen unbeaten on 18. But in near ideal batting conditions, the England duo upped the run-rate. Pietersen was the initial aggressor hitting two fours in an over then, Bell started a sequence of four boundaries in five balls. Bell completed his fifth century in 11 Test innings this year and 16th in all when he forced part-time spinner Suresh Raina off the back foot for his 12th four in 181 balls. India took the new ball in the last over before tea but it made no difference. Earlier, Ishant Sharma needed just five balls to reduce England to 75 for one when he had Cook caught at first slip by Virender Sehwag off a good length ball as the hosts failed to add to their overnight score following a first day where rain meant there was no play after lunch. Cook, who made a career-best 294 at Edgbaston, was out for 34. Strauss, Cook's fellow left-hander, struggled as India's bowlers performed with much greater discipline than on Thursday. But it was in chasing a wide-half volley from Sreesanth that he was caught behind by India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 40.

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Kamran vows to make a comeback

Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has expressed his disappointment at losing his central contract for the second half of 2011, but said he is determined to prove his worth in domestic cricket and make a comeback."I'm extremely disappointed," Kamran told PTI." I admit that it was my mistake but I think I deserve another chance. Somehow it's the board's decision and I don't want to say much. I've earned the contract for eight years and losing this one is not a big deal.Kamran was dropped after struggling in the World Cup and was replaced by Mohammad Salman for Pakistan's tour of West Indies. "The selectors were not satisfied with my performance but I just need to keep on playing domestic cricket and prove my form to them," Kamran said. "I'm 29 and fit so I feel that there's at least six years of cricket left in me."Everyone makes mistakes but the important thing is learning from them. I vow not to make them again. No wicketkeeper loves to drop catches."Kamran was not the only active player to lose his contract. Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf and Danish Kaneria, who were not picked for the World Cup, have been ignored. Malik and Kaneria are yet to be cleared by the PCB's integrity committee and Kaneria has not played for the national team since August 2010. The recently retired pair of Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar were also left off the list.

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Swann tells England not to let ranking go to heads

LONDON: England spinner Graeme Swann says his teammates must not allow their impending ascension to the top spot in the world rankings to go to their heads as they seek to complete a 4-0 Test whitewash of India at The Oval this week.England will be confirmed as the best Test side in the world after the series but Swann believes the team must ensure they complete the job and see off the  demoralised tourists.He said: “It’s a nice feeling (to take over the top ranking) – but it’s not what we are focusing on.“We said before the series it didn’t matter if we got to number one in the world.“It’s about finishing the series well and that is what we are aiming to do at The Oval.“We want to do ourselves justice in the last game – we did that very well in the Ashes.Having retained them we gave our best performance of the series in Sydney in the last game and we are looking to emulate that here.“It’s the last Test match for a while and it’s a good chance for us to sign off on a winning note.“We have played some exceptional cricket in the last 18-24 months and it would be a shame if we ruined it all by cruising through this game so let’s make it a really good five days and see what happens.“It wouldn’t be much of a team if we just fell to pieces and threw it all away.Swann said England must not underestimate India in the final Test and stick to the game plan which has seen them land the series.“The best thing we have done all series is keep India below 300 each time we have bowled and we need to try and keep that up.“The Oval is a good batting pitch but if we can maintain the standards we have so far achieved then hopefully we can do that again.”

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ICC lacks leadership: Flower

LONDON: England coach Andy Flower on Wednesday accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of lacking leadership over its failure to issue clear rules about the use of the Decision Review System.Under existing rules, either side in a series can veto the use of the DRS to determine lbw decisions, something India has elected to do in its ongoing series against England, who defeated the tourists at Lord’s on Monday.However the lack of the DRS during the first Test has cast the spotlight on umpiring in the game, with Billy Bowden twice denying Stuart Broad plumb lbw decisions which would have snared Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina.Although the decisions did not prove costly for England, Flower believes the absence of the DRS in the remaining three Test matches could fan the flames of controversy.Asked if he was concerned about the possibility of trouble in the remainder of the series Flower admitted: “Yes, I am actually. We almost saw it happen in this Test match.“It would have been wrong if the outcome of the game had been seriously affected by a couple of those decisions and it was quite right that, luckily, we did continue to create chances. It’s unsatisfactory the way it is, there is no doubt about that.”Flower pointed the finger at ICC chiefs for allowing the current situation to arise, where DRS is used in some Test series but not in others.“I don’t think there’s anything we can do, but I think the ICC should be stronger in taking a lead on these issues,” said Flower.“They are the world governing body and they should lead. I don’t think it’s unfair to say they haven’t led on this topic.“We all know that it is not going to be 100% accurate, but we also know you get more right decisions using it, so let’s not quibble about millimetres here when we know you get more right than wrong. That’s why most Test-playing nations want to use it.“(Umpiring) is a very difficult job. We all know that, and I think they would be happier with it too.

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Straight talk: The unfortunate lot

On occasions like the one falling today the country’s 64th Independence Day it is customary to work out the dream team, pick up the best captain, locate the best all-rounder and so on.The who-might-have-been-what factor does not get too much attention, for traditionally it is an occasion for celebration, not for soul-searching. But it doesn’t hurt to be unconventional once in a while.So let’s pick up some contenders for the top three most unfortunate cricketers among the 206 who have donned the green cap in the 59 years since Pakistan got the Test status. Out of contention are many who had the potential to make it big but shot themselves in the foot like Younis Ahmed, Qasim Omar and Basit Ali. Also, out of the race are those who got too few opportunities to fully showcase their talent. For instance, Jalaluddin played just six Tests and eight ODIs in a three-year international career.Then there was this fellow Wajahtullah Wasti who scored two centuries in six outings, looked good, but was then dumped for no fault of his own. Hasan Raza was too good a talent to get just seven matches. Bazid Khan got just one. The unluckiest in this category would probably be Asim Kamal, who scored eight scores of 50-or-more in his 12-Test career. In a side that was notorious for being a pack of cards, his ability to stay on the crease should have been considered an asset, but that was not to be.

Having set the context thus, let’s move to the main business. Sikandar Bakht—Test Cap number 74—was the least unlucky of the top three in this rather unenviable category. Tall and slim—frail, actually—Sikandar was deceptively lively, if not quick, on most pitches. He was the perfect foil for the Imran-Sarfaraz duo, especially because Sarfaraz was an erratic soul and his availability was not always guaranteed. Sikandar was a true workhorse who could bowl longish spells to keep one end going.Sikandar’s highest point came on the 1979-80 tour to India where he had to bear the burden of being the lone functional fast bowler in the camp owing to captain Asif Iqbal’s decision not to have Sarfaraz on the tour, and the injury to Imran Khan. He bowled his heart out on placid Indian tracks for a series haul of 24 wickets. Imran, who had by then come into his own as a true fast bowler stood overshadowed by Sikandar’s performance.To everyone’s horror, the highest wicket-taker on the tour was dropped for the first match of the very next series. This must have been some morale-booster for the fellow who was all of 25 years at the time. By the looks of it, his peak turned out to be his downfall. From thereon, he was never given the confidence or selection consistency which brought his career to a premature end, just six years after it had begun in Karachi.Shoaib Mohammad Test Cap number 97 paid the price for being part of the Mohammad family. Everyone in the cricketing establishment who had a grudge with the Mohammeds tried to take it out on the young lad who, in any case, was under tremendous pressure of keeping up with the legacy of his illustrious father and uncles. He was constantly picked and dropped on one pretext or the other. Sometimes it was because he was considered too slow; sometimes for being reckless; sometimes for concentrating too hard; sometime for not doing so In 45 Tests that Shoaib played, he scored at an average of 44.34, which is a decent effort for an opener. In contrast, Ramiz, who was the preferred choice, played 57 Tests; at an average of 31.83, which is less than ordinary by any standard. Shoaib, despite always being on trial, scored seven centuries; Ramiz, despite his permanent place, scored two.The unluckiest of them all was Waseem Raja. In his elements, he was a sight to behold, taking on the might of the West Indians with the languid grace that few could match. And, by that very same token, what a wasted talent he represents in Pakistan Cricket. As the legend goes, he was a dissident in the camp. Mild-mannered and cultured to the core because of his educated background, he had the guts to stand up for what he believed. Pakistan Cricket has never been comfortable with such characters and never allowed him to settle down in the line-up. It is some indication of his strength as a player that he still ended up playing 57 Tests, but he was always on trial.Raja, with the kind of talent and potential he had, should have been counted among the legends of Pakistan Cricket, but the new generation hardly knows his name. What a pity.

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Healthy competition among players crucial: Taufiq Umar

LAHORE: Worrying little about his place as opener, in the presence of two other openers  Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat Taufiq Umar on Wednesday saidh healty competition among players was vital in strengthening the team.Yes, there should always be competition [among players] and I believe impressive performance plays crucial role in giving one place in the team. And only those players who perform [well] will get the chance,” Taufiq told the media in response to a question prior to a training session at the national camp at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Wednesday.“In the presence of competition, every member of the squad wants to concentrate on his performance, and this creates a healthy competition among the players 30 year old Taufiq added.Hafeez and Taufiq have emerged as opening partners for Pakistan in the recent past after former captain Salman Butt was banned by the ICC for 10 years over a spot-fixing scandal that erupted in August last year.However, for the coming tour of Zimbabwe Imran Farhat has been recalled to the national side after almost one-year absence, resulting in a competition-like situation among the three openers.Taufiq reckoned the Pakistan team, selected for the Zimbabwe tour was well balanced, and hoped the team would earn good results.“We are undergoing strenuous training at the camp under head coach Waqar Younis and Ijaz Ahmed [yet to be officially announced as assistant coach] and hopefully all the boys will be in good shape before facing the Zimbabweans in their backyard,” the left-handed batsman who has featured in 31 Tests and 22 ODIs so far, stated.To a question, Taufiq did not agree to the impression that openers had failed to give Pakistan good starts in Test matches.“If you see record of the last seven Test matches or so you will say that openers have given a good starts to the team, which played important role in achieving big totals Taufiq remarked while admitting that naturally it was difficult to give a good opening stand in every innings

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Tharanga, Malinga shape Sri Lanka's vital win

HAMBANTOTA: Upul Tharanga hit a century and paceman Lasith Malinga grabbed five wickets as Sri Lanka posted a crucial 78-run win over Australia in the third one-day international on Tuesday.Left-handed opener Tharanga made 111 for his 12th one-day hundred as Sri Lanka scored 286-9 before dismissing Australia for 208 in the must-win match, despite Michael Hussey's fighting 63Man of the-match Tharanga, playing his first series after serving a three-month drugs ban, also completed 4,000 runs in one-day internationals during his 139-ball knock, which contained 12 fours.Australia, who won the first two games of the five-match series, were struggling at 52-3 after debutant seamer Shaminda Eranga bowled Brad Haddin in his opening over and then held a return catch to dismiss Ricky Ponting (22).Skipper Michael Clarke (46) and Hussey steadied the innings with a 71-run stand for the fourth wicket before Malinga struck a vital blow.The Australian captain looked set for a third successive half-century before being caught by Mahela Jayawardene at mid-on. Malinga ensured the win when he dismissed Hussey to finish with 5-28, his fourth five-wicket haul.Sri Lanka were earlier strongly placed at 220-1 after 38 overs but paceman Doug Bollinger (4-42) bagged three wickets in two overs, including those of Tharanga and Kumar Sangakkara (49).The hosts made their best start in the series when Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan (55) put on 139 for the first wicket in the day-night match, watched by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Nasheed.Jayawardene was the other main scorer with a 33-ball 36.The Australian bowlers, who set up their team's comfortable victories in previous games, had to wait for more than 25 overs for the first wicket.Bollinger provided the breakthrough when he had Dilshan caught pulling by Michael Hussey before Tharanga and Sangakkara added 81 in 13 overs for the second wicket.Sangakkara hit a 37-ball 49 before being trapped leg-before by Bollinger, who got his second wicket in the same over when he had Dinesh Chandimal caught by Clarke in the slips.Bollinger struck again when he had Tharanga caught behind in his next over.

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Taibu steers Zimbabwe to 250-7 against Bangladesh

HARARE: A third wicket partnership of 142 between Tatenda Taibu and Hamilton Mazakadza for Zimbabwe helped the home side set Bangladesh 251 to win the third ODI and stay in the series at Harare Sports Club here Tuesday.Taibu scored 83 including eight boundaries to claim his 20th ODI half century while Masakadza hit 74 with two sixes and four fours for his 17th 50.Zimbabwe had been put into bat by Shakib Al Hassan, who won the toss for the first time on the tour.Brendan Taylor was out for four runs, his third successive failure but Vusi Sibanda began a recovery with a patient 27.Zimbabwe consequently managed only 22 runs in the first 10 overs and were 60-2 after 20 overs. But in the next 20 Taibu and Masakadza scattered the fielders with another 116 runs, almost doubling the run rate Craig Ervine and Elton Chigumbura went after the bowling as well in the final stages, scoring 18 and 31 respectively, the latter facing only 21 balls for his contribution in which he hit two sixes.As Taibu tried with abandon to reach his hundred he was caught on the boundary and wickets fell in quick succession during the last two overs.Bangladesh batsmen face a run chase at just above five runs per over. If they fail they will have lost the series.

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Bangladesh win toss and field against Zimbabwe

HARARE: Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field against Zimbabwe in the third of five one-day internationals at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday A win by the home team would give them the series, having taken the first two matches. The remaining two ODIs take place in Bulawayo on Friday and Sunday.Zimbabwe bring back Kyle Jarvis in place of Raymond Price. Bangladesh make three changes. Dropped are Mohammad Ashraful, Abdur Razzak and Shahriar Nafeez. In come Shobugoto Hom making his debut, Juniad Siddique and Nazimul Hossain.TeamsZimbabwe: Brendan Taylor (captain), Vusi Sibanda, Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Ervine, Tatenda Taibu (wkt), Forster Mtizwa, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya,Kyle Jarvis, Christopher Mpofu, Brian VitoriBangladesh: Shakib Al Hassan (captain), Imrul Kayes, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Mahmudulla, Nasir Hossain, Sofiul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Shobugoto Hom, Zuniad Siddique, Najimul HossainUmpires: Russell Tiffin (ZIM), Kumar Dahrmasena (SL), TV umpire: Jeremiah Matibiri (ZIM)Match referee Roshan Mahanama (SL)

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Australia elect to field against Sri Lanka

HAMBANTOTA: Australian captain Michael Clarke won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat in the third one-day international on Tuesday.Sri Lanka, who trail 2-0 in the five-match series, will be without injured all-rounder Angelo Mathews for a game they must win to stay afloat in the series.Middle-order batsman Chamara Silva replaced Mathews, while debutant seamer Shaminda Eranga came in for spinner Rangana Herath.Australia retained the same side that won the second match on Sunday.Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeevan Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Shaminda Eranga.Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty, Doug Bollinger.

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Netherlands defeat Ireland in hard-fought Women's ODI

The Netherlands beat Ireland in women's one day international when the 50-over phase of the European Championship got under way in Utrecht on Wednesday, winning a hard-fought match by two wickets with two overs to spare.Laura Brouwers got the match underway by bowling Rebecca Rolfe off the very first ball after Helmien Rambaldo won the toss, and that set the tone for a game in which the bowlers were always in command. Kim Garth gave Ireland a reasonably steady start, making 20 and sharing a third-wicket stand of 38 ? the best of the innings ? with Laura Delany, but the Dutch attack maintained the pressure throughout, and scoring was never easy.Spinner Esther Lanser was especially well controlled, and her ten-over spell produced just 13 runs and included four maidens, and Brouwers finished with one for 14 from nine overs, three of them in a second spell in which she conceded a single wide.The Irish batters were rarely able to escape their shackles, although Amy Kenealy showed a greater degree of enterprise in making an undefeated 32-ball 21, including one of only three boundaries in the innings. The last three wickets fell to run-outs, however, and the innings closed on 116 off 47.5 overs.The Dutch found runs equally hard to come by, but a patient knock of 38 from skipper Rambaldo, made from 94 deliveries, appeared to lay the foundation for a fairly comfortable victory. She received support from Carolien Salomons in a second-wicket partnership of 41 and then Lanser helped her take the total to 80 for two, and the Netherlands seemed to be almost home.But Kenealy had other ideas, removing Lanser, Rambaldo and Violet Wattenberg in the space of six deliveries to leave the Dutch reeling on 82 for five. Then 13-year-old leg-spinner Elena Tice took a hand with the wickets of Carlijn de Groot and Denise Hannema, and at 92 for seven it seemed as if the game had swung back Ireland's way.Esther de Lange held firm, however, and the Irish bowlers were unable to match the accuracy of their opponents, conceding a total of no fewer than 28 wides. Brouwers ran herself out with seven still needed, but Leonie Bennett joined De Lange and these two saw their side through to an historic victory.Kenealy finished with three for 17 and Tice two for 34, with Garth taking one for 12 in her ten overs.It had been a tough battle in conditions in which batting was never easy, and it gives the hosts a good chance of adding the 50-over championship to the Twenty20 title they claimed on Monday.Brief scores from today's matches:Kampong CC: Ireland 116, 47.5 oversNetherlands 117-8, 48 overs (H Rambaldo 38; I Kenealy 3-17)Netherlands won by two wickets

ICC European Women's Championship table

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Fixtures announced for ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier 2011

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the schedule for the upcoming ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier 2011 (WWCQ).The event which is scheduled to be played from 14 to 25 November in Dhaka, Bangladesh will feature 10 teams playing in four venues across the city.Host Bangladesh will be joined by teams from South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, USA, West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and Japan to battle it out for the four remaining spots at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2013 which will be hosted by India.England, Australia, India and New Zealand have already qualified for the event by virtue of finishing in the top four at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2009.The ICC WWCQ 2011 will be played at four venues in Dhaka, namely Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Narayanganj Osmani Stadium, BKSP 1* and BKSP 2.The teams have been split into two groups for the event and the full schedule can be viewed either in the PDF attached or on the ICC website here.
The two groups are as follows:
Group A
South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, USA
Group B
West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland, Japan, Bangladesh
Notes:
*BKSP stands for Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (Bangladesh Institute of Sports)

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Strauss promises no let-up for India

England captain Andrew Strauss insisted there would be no danger of his side relaxing now they had climbed to the top of the Test table and rid English cricket of its "laughing-stock" status.England attained their long-term goal of being declared the world's number one Test and simultaneously clinched an unbeatable 3-0 lead in their four-match series against former ICC table-toppers India with a crushing innings and 242-run success in the third Test at Edgbaston last week.They could be forgiven for easing up, as even the great Australia sides of the 1990s and 2000s sometimes did when a series was already won, in the fourth and final Test at The Oval, starting here on Thursday.But Strauss, speaking to reporters at The Oval here on Wednesday, said he was confident England would avoid succumbing to 'dead-rubber syndrome'."There's always that danger of taking our foot off the gas, but I hope and expect that we won't fall into that trap," he told reporters.Strauss cited the way England had won the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney by an innings in January, a victory achieved with the Ashes already retained after the tourists had gone 2-1 up in Melbourne, as an example of England's ruthlessness."I think we had a similar situation in Australia and reacted really well in Sydney," opening batsman Strauss explained."That's certainly what we're trying to do this week. I'm absolutely certain that India will want to finish the tour on a high note and we have to stop them doing that," Strauss said."Now is not a time to be satisfied with ourselves.""There's so many challenges ahead for us as a side. There's the subcontinent this winter, there's South Africa coming over and then India in the winter after that followed by the World Test Championship."f England beat India at The Oval they will have won as many Test matches - 20 - in the past two years as they did during the whole of the 1980s."I wasn't aware of that," said the 34-year-old Strauss, a childhood cricket fan in the 80s."English cricket's been through a long evolutionary cycle. Since the introduction of central contracts (a decade ago) the rate of improvement has gone up significantly.The days of English cricket being kind of a laughing stock have gone, hopefully for good.""There was a feeling that we weren't getting the best out of our players because we've always had very good players in England, there's no doubt about that," Strauss said."Now I think the structure and the set up make it easier for us to get the best out of our players."Once this series is over England, unusually, won't have another Test before Christmas, with the first of a winter programme where they face Pakistan and Sri Lanka, not until the new year.That means Strauss, who no longer plays limited overs internationals, is set for a five-month break."It allows me to prepare myself properly for what's going to be a tough winter and to sit down with (England coach) Andy Flower and be clear and thorough in our planning for the subcontinent, which is not an area we've traditionally performed well in," he said.Strauss denied suggestions he might fill his time by playing in Australian or South African first-class cricket."At this stage, playing in Australia or South Africa doesn't seem like the right preparation for playing in the subcontinent

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